JOHN TERRY has revealed his amazing list of superstitions behind Chelsea's success - and the night when he feared his luck had run out.

The Chelsea captain sticks to an incredible routine before every game - sitting in the same seat on the team bus, listening to the same CD and parking in the same spot in the car park.

And he has also worn the same lucky pair of shin-pads for the past ten years.

But Terry suffered a nightmare last season when he lost his shin-pads during Chelsea's Champions League first leg defeat in Barcelona.

He threw them to the side of the pitch after a bout of cramp and could not find them afterwards, despite getting everyone to scour the Nou Camp for them.

Just four days later he feared the worst when, without his lucky pads, Chelsea were 11 minutes from losing the Carling Cup final to Liverpool before they fought back to win in extra time.

Terry said: "Those shin-pads had got me to where I was in the game - and I'd lost them. I really felt terrible because they were a big part of my routine.

"Before the final I was having a go at the kitman even though it wasn't his fault. I was thinking: 'f***ing hell, I've had those shin-pads for so long and now this is it, all over.'

"Lampsy (Frank Lampard) gave me a pair of his and luckily we won, so they've stuck with me. Now they have become my lucky ones.

"But I am so superstitious. I've got to have the same seat on the bus, tie the tapes round my socks three times and cut my tubular grip for my shin-pads the same size every game.

"I drive to games listening to the same Usher CD in my car. It's good music to get me pumped up and relaxed at the same time.

Terry also insists on parking his car in the same space in Chelsea's underground car park at Stamford Bridge before every game - and had a scary experience before the second leg with Barcelona.

Terry said: "I always have to park my car in the same spot in the car park and when I drove in at lunchtime before the game, the space was taken and I was unsettled.

"Every hour I went back to the car park to see whether the space was taken and eventually I got one of the kitmen to move it. Two hours to move my car - he thought I was mad!

"I started off with a couple of superstitions and because we did so well, kept winning and winning, I ended up with about 50 of them. Then it was a case of remembering them for every game!"

While Terry sticks to his superstitions, there is nothing lucky about Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's amazing success story since he arrived at Stamford Bridge 15 months ago.

Mourinho has already captured Chelsea's first title in 50 years and won the Carling Cup. These are added to an incredible managerial CV which includes winning the Portuguese league and cup as well as the Champions League and UEFA Cup for Porto.

Terry believes Chelsea's glorious season was down to Mourinho's winning mentality and the never-say-die team spirit he has brought to Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho has introduced no-holds barred training sessions, including team huddles where each player must give a rabble rousing speech .

"I think we used to have a psychological barrier and maybe we thought Arsenal were better than us," admitted Terry. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not disrespecting them, but we're just so confident in our ability now.

"Arsenal and Manchester United are still great sides - Liverpool are stronger as well - and Arsenal showed that again last Sunday. I think it will be between the three of us. But we have got this incredible winning mentality now.

"The manager has a great work ethic, we work hard and there's no point in giving 80 per cent - we give 110 per cent every week. We go into every game determined to win. The manager even hates losing in training.

"He has always been into team bonding since the start. We introduced the huddle, team meetings, he's very detailed on the opposition and uses so many things to bring the lads together.

"He wanted a speech from each player saying how important it was to win. He wanted me to do the first one as captain and I was so nervous about what to say, I effed and blinded my way through it!

"He has brought a whole new way of training. He has got us to train as hard as we play. We play full games and there is no holding back.

"I think it's ridiculous when people say we've just bought the title. We're lucky to have such huge resources but you can buy the ten best players in the world but that will not win you the Premiership.

"So much of it is down to team spirit and being a tight unit."

Mourinho also pulled off a masterstroke as soon as he arrived at Stamford Bridge by appointing Terry as his captain and he has since hailed him as the best central defender in the world.

"I can't speak highly enough of the man because he's not only a great man, but tactically he is spot on. Everything about him is about success," said Terry.

"We first met him in Manchester where a few of us were with England. He wanted to come and introduce himself to the lads. It was just before Euro 2004 and he wanted to wish us well for the tournament.

"But the first thing he said to all of us was that none of us had won anything - and he was right.

"His message was that we would win things next year. And he has done exactly that."